Friday, July 27, 2012

Aloha from Maui! As I enjoy my vacation in Maui, doing my tradewinds training, I started to think about about the month ahead.. If you are as passionate about cycling as I am, the next 30 to 45 days is going to be jam packed with top-notch cycling events.

First up are the Olympics. It is the eve of the men's road race and, although it may not have the drama of the Tour or a spring classic, we should be treated to an exciting finish. Considering the way he won the last two sprint stages at the Tour, if Cavendish can avoid the crashes and make it over Box Hill he has a great shot to win gold. Sunday's treat is the women's road race followed by the time trial events on Wednesday. The track events kick off on Thursday through Tuesday the 7th with BMX and Mountain Bike events on Aug 10-12. Not sure if all of the events will be shown by NBC (at least in the US) but definitely check online at Cycling CEO to look for live, online streaming.

Running concurrently during the Olympics are the Eneco Tour in Europe and the Tour of Utah in the US. The Eneco Tour marks the return of Alberto Contador to the peloton. I would expect that he will use this event to get his race legs under him in preparation for the Vuelta.

The Tour of Utah started as a domestic stage race and recently has increased its stature as a UCI World Tour event. The organizers have done a great job of creating stages which, combined with the dry heat, will create some challenging conditions for the riders. Although most of the teams will use this as a preparation for the Pro Cycling Challenge, I expect the domestic pro teams to put on a great show to prove they can compete.

August 18th gives us the start of the last grand tour, the Vuelta a Espana. Bjarne Riis, the Director of Team Saxo Bank/Tinkoff, has stated unequivocally that Contador must win this event. If Joaquim Rodriguez can ride with the same form he showed in the Giro and Chris Froome isn't burned out by having completed the Tour and the Olympics, we should be treated to some great battles in the mountains!

In the US, we will be treated to the second running of the US Pro Cycling Challenge on August 20-26. I am sure we will see some good racing but how good remains to be seen. As a cycling fan, it is great to see professional cycling in the US. As a competitive cyclist, I hope that it is more competitive this year than last year (I thought some of the stages were downright boring to watch!).

As always, if you have questions, comments, thoughts, etc., please leave them below or send me an email. And, if you like what you see here, head on over to the Cycling CEO website to see more exciting information.

Friday, July 20, 2012

As I write this article, I am watching today's stage as Brad Wiggins closes in on his goal of winning the Tour. Wiggins' single-minded focus to winning the Tour and how he has prepared himself can be boiled down into five simple steps, steps that are core to success, whether on the bike or in your business.

Set Intention. Wiggins decided he was going to win the 2012 Tour de France. One he declared what he wanted, his plans started falling into place. It all begins when you declare your intent and put a plan in place to achieve the goal.

Hire coaches. In addition to his Team Sky coaching staff, Wiggins went out and hired an Australian swim coach. Only he knows but but it obviously has worked! To excel in any area, you virtually always need a guide. Who is your team of mentors and coaches who can help you achieve success?

Clear Fears. Self-doubt, lack of faith, negativity. Negative thoughts such as these have a way of creeping into our heads. You've got coaches/mentors to help you prepare so rely on them to instill confidence and erase all the fears as they arose.

Take action. So you've set your intent, hired a coach/mentor and are feeling confident that you can do whatever you put your mind to doing. Now what? Take action! Nike's slogan says it well: "Just do it." If you don't do it, how are you going to succeed?

Persist. Expect that you will have setbacks along the way. But don't look at those setbacks as failures but as an opportunity to learn and grow. Rely on your coach/mentor to help you learn from your setback and to provide the encouragement to keep pushing you to success. Don't think that Wiggins just rode off the track, onto the road and into the yellow jersey. He had his setbacks along the way but persisted and kept his sites set on his goal.

Final Words

I hope you enjoyed this article. Please let me know how it’s working out for you on Twitter or by sending me an email. I love hearing about people implementing and getting results. And, if I can help you in any way, please let me know!

About Me

You know the saying that when the going gets tough, the tough get going? Well, that has been my mantra throughout life. I may not have been the most athletic or smartest, but I've worked hard to achieve the successes in life, whether they be personal, professional or athletic.

1986 West Point graduate

1988 and 1990 National Champion Team Time Trial

1989 Silver medalist in Team Time Trial

1990 Colorado State Road Race Champion

Multiple state championships in road, time trial and track

Anything is possible if you believe and you are willing to work hard to achieve your goals. It is my desire to help success driven individuals pursue their cycling passions.